Tag: Four star

Four-star OT Elijah Pritchett commits to Alabama over Georgia, Florida State, and USC

Alabama has moved up to the No. 3 class in the 2022 cycle with Pritchett’s commitment.

Of the top 10 offensive tackles in the 2022 class, only four are uncommitted heading into the week. Zach Rice, Josh Conerly Jr., Elijah Pritchett, and Kam Dewberry have all extended their recruitments past the summer.

Pritchett decided to shut it down on Tuesday afternoon, committing to Alabama. The four-star offensive tackle chose the Crimson Tide over Florida State, Georgia, and USC.

Despite Kirby Smart’s staff getting the final official visit this past weekend, Charles Kelly and Doug Marrone sealed the deal.

Alabama has moved up to the No. 3 class in the 2022 cycle per the 247Sports composite, despite having the fewest commitments out of the top five. Penn State and Notre Dame keep the top two spots with both have 20+ pledges so far.

Pritchett is the third offensive lineman in the class and the third prospect from the state of Georgia. Four-star Tyler Booker headlines the OL class from IMG Academy.

In an interview with On3 Recruits, Pritchett says Alabama and Georiga were the real two final schools. Getting to Tuscaloosa for a weekend sealed the deal in favor of the Crimson Tide.

“That visit when they played Mercer was the icing on the cake,” Prtichett said. “Seeing the team compete, even against a smaller school, showed me a lot.

“It was my first game at Alabama too, so seeing the fans was amazing. The fans knew it wasn’t a big game, but they still had the mind-set that they wanted to beat the crap out of Mercer.”

Alabama’s most recent commit is the No. 94 overall player on the 247Sports composite. Within the state of Georgia, Pritchett is the No. 8 prospect and ranks as the No. 9 offensive tackle in the country.

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Alabama offers No. 2 prospect in 2024 class, Desmond Ricks

On Saturday, the No. 1 rated cornerback in the 2024 class, Desmond Ricks, received an offer from Alabama.

It’s never too early to get excited about some of the best young prospects in the country. Especially when Nick Saban has identified their talent at such an early age.

On Saturday, the No. 1 rated cornerback in the 2024 class, Desmond Ricks, received an offer from the Crimson Tide. Coming out of IMG Academy, he is in his second season of playing at the varsity level.

Ricks marks just the 9th offer Alabama has made within the 2024 class. Four other defensive backs have heard from the reigning national champions, all from California or Texas.

However, we know how much the state of Florida enjoys sending guys to Tuscaloosa. Especially the defensive backs. Patrick Surtain was the last five-star, while Jordan Battle (2018) and Terrion Arnold (2021) have come since then.

There is a long way to go with Ricks’ recruitment but history shows Alabama will be in the race until the end.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 4 2 1 1
Rivals – – – –
ESPN – – – –
247 Composite – – – –

Vitals

Hometown Bradenton, FL
Projected Position Cornerback
Height 6-1
Weight 170

Recruitment

  • Offered on Sept. 18, 2021
  • No visit yet

Offers (24 total)

Crystal Ball

No crystal ball at the time of posting

Film

Twitter

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Texas target, four-star WR Brenen Thompson to “miss significant time” due to injury

Texas target Brenen Thompson will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Steve Sarkisian’s recruiting plan is beginning to unfold but there are still a couple of holes to fill, especially at wide receiver. Five-star Evan Stewart remains one of the most important targets left on the board. Alongside him is Brenen Thompson.

The four-star Panhandle prospect plays for Spearman High School and began the season with a 2-1 non-district record. Now, Thompson will be out for a significant portion of the season.

According to Kale Steed of Press Pass sports, Thompson is going to “miss significant time” due to an undisclosed injury. There is no set time for the wide receiver to return to the field.

Thompson adds to the list of Texas targets/commits not playing a significant amount of time their senior season. Three-star linebacker Trevell Johnson is undergoing surgery, while four-star running back Jaydon Blue opted out to focus on training for the collegiate level.

Recent commit Jaray Bledsoe will not play this season either. After transferring to Marlin High School, UIL ruled him ineligible.

As for Thompson’s recruitment, he currently has a top four of Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas A&M. He is supposed to be in Austin for an official visit this weekend per 247Sports. Impressing the four-star and his family will be crucial for Sarkisian.

On the 247Sports composite, Thompson ranks as the No. 87 overall prospect and the No. 15 player from the state of Texas. He is the No. 11 wide receiver in the country and was hoping to break into the top 10 with solid senior season tape.

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Four-star offensive lineman Earnest Greene announces Texas visit weekend

Earnest Greene announced his official visit to Austin will take place on Oct. 16 for the Oklahoma State game. It will be his third OV.

Having Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson locked down on the interior offensive line is a good start for Kyle Flood. The two committed on the same day and have been important to Texas’ 2022 class already.

Offensive tackle, in particular, has been the position of concern. Some top targets have been missed on and the pool is drying up real quick. To make up for it, the Longhorns may have to keep going after the interior boys.

Earnest Greene may be the top IOL priority remaining on the board outside of Devon Campbell. The four-star out of California is one of the best prospects in the country and has shown interest in Texas.

He announced his official visit to Austin will take place on Oct. 16 for the Oklahoma State game. It will be his third OV, leaving two for later in the calendar.

Texas will have the chance to carry a ton of momentum heading into Greene’s visit. Oct. 9 is the date of the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma in Dallas. A win there will have the program buzzing on the recruiting front.

Show out as a coaching staff in person throughout the weekend and Greene will be heading back West with a lot to think about. Opportunities will be there for Sarkisian in the coming weeks.

On the 247Sports composite, Greene is the No. 2 interior offensive lineman and the No. 4 prospect from the state of California. On the national scale, the four-star ranks as the No. 61 overall player.

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Four-star DL Justice Finkley commits to Texas over Alabama, Colorado

After commitments on back-to-back days from Jaray Bledsoe and J’Mond Tapp last week, another defensive lineman has decided to jump into the class.

It’s been a good week for Texas on and off the field. Saturday saw a convincing win over Louisiana at home. A ton of momentum is going to be carried into a tough environment at Arkansas.

Recruiting has been a strong suit as well, especially on the defensive line. Coach Bo Davis has been doing miracle work with some of the country’s top prospects.

After back-to-back commitments from Jaray Bledsoe and J’Mond Tapp last Monday, another defensive lineman has decided to jump into the class.

Four-star Justice Finkley committed to Texas over Alabama and Colorado on Thursday afternoon. Being from Trussville, AL, Steve Sarkisian was able to go into his old stomping ground and get a win over Nick Saban.

Finkley and his family took an official visit to Austin on July 25. He got to meet with Sarkisian himself and Pete Kwiatkowski, his main recruiter per 247Sports. Where the four-star will play in the defensive coordinator’s defense is yet to be known.

With a move to the SEC pending, stocking up in the trenches was going to be critical for Texas. After Tom Herman’s recruiting classes were built based on skill position players, Sarkisian’s staff has heavily focused on the defensive line.

A huge victory over the Crimson Tide in their own backyard.

On the 247Sports composite, Finkley ranks as the No. 112 overall player and the No. 19 defensive lineman in the country. Within the state of Alabama, he is the No. 6 prospect.

Although Kwiatkowski can be credited with this recruiting victory, Bo Davis has done a remarkable job across the defensive line. Most of his work has been outside of the state of Texas as well.

  • Four-star DL Justice Finkley (AL)
  • Four-star DL Jaray Bledsoe (TX)
  • Four-star edge J’Mond Tapp (LA)
  • Four-star DL Kristopher Ross (TX)
  • Four-star edge Derrick Brown (TX)
  • Four-star DL Aaron Bryant (MS)
  • Four-star DL Zac Swanson (UT)

The best part is, Finkley could be the best of the bunch.

He could end up playing the same role Ovie Oghoufo did over the weekend against Louisiana. Potentially at jack as well.

Finkley’s 6-4, 255-pound frame will not be big enough to play inside from the beginning. If Davis wants him to get there, some serious lifting and weight gain will have to occur.

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Four-star wide receiver Johntay Cooks includes Texas in top schools

Four-star WR Johntay Cook released his top schools on Sunday, with Texas making the cut. Oklahoma is the only other conference foe on the list.

Looking into the 2023 recruiting class, one of the best in-state positions is wide receiver. Three of the top 10 come from the state of Texas, two having five-star status per the 247Sports composite.

DeSoto’s High School’s Johntay Cook is one the Longhorns are going after. After receiving 34 offers from programs around the country, the four-star wide receiver decided to make his first trim.

Cook released his top 12 schools on Sunday evening, with Texas making the cut. Oklahoma is the only other conference foe on the list, while five future SEC compadres are included as well.

Texas hosted Cook back in early June. He and five-star quarterback Arch Manning got to work out inside the stadium and take the typical recruiting weekend photos together. Former commit and five-star running back Rueben Owens was with them as well.

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
247 4 55 7 9
Rivals 4 66 7 10
ESPN 4 41 10 8
247 Composite 4 45 8 8

Vitals

Hometown DeSoto, TX
Projected Position Wide receiver
Height 6-0
Weight 170

Recruitment

  • Offered on Oct. 22, 2020
  • Unofficial visit on June 12, 2021

Top 12

Crystal Ball

No crystal balls at the time of posting.

Film

Twitter

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Four-star 2024 DB Jaydan Hardy keeping options open early in recruiting process

Lewisville’s season opened up with a 50-7 win over Arlington Bowie. LonghornsWire was able to catch up with four-star safety Jaydon Hardy after.

Lewisville’s season opened up with a dominating 50-7 win over Arlington Bowie. Division I talent played on both sides of the ball but sophomore Jaydan Hardy could have been the best.

Playing safety and wide receiver for the Farmers, Hardy finished the night with one reception for seven yards. He broke passes up when Bowie attempted to push the ball downfield, while also returned punts.

Getting a win to start the year was important to Hardy. Lewisville has high expectations for the season and going 1-0 was just the beginning.

“It felt great (to win). Just coming out here and showing people the talent we have.”

For personal goals, Hardy just wants to contribute to the team any way he possibly can. Whether it is at wide receiver or safety, being versatile and becoming a team leader is the priority of the four-star 2024 prospect.

As for Lewisville, the 2020 season ended with a second-round loss to Arlington Martin. Hardy and his teammates have different expectations this season. Not only making it to AT&T Stadium is the goal but lifting hardware is the only acceptable option.

“The goal for the team is state,” said Hardy. “We are not going to settle for less.”

After picking up his first Divison I offer back in mid-January, 10 other offers came throughout May and June. Big-time programs such as Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M have reached out.

Hardy went to three camps over the summer in College Station, Oxford, and Tuscaloosa. It’s only a few months into his recruitment, but the four-star has been enjoying everything so far.

“It was amazing going out and seeing colleges and being able to just experience it all and getting into the recruiting process. I love it, it’s amazing.”

Despite also playing on offense, Hardy is going to be recruited as a defensive back. The District 6-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year had 61 tackles and two interceptions as a freshman.

For Texas, Blake Gideon has been the point of contact. Hardy has “talked to” and stayed in close contact” with the safety coach after receiving the offer back on June 2.

Being so early in the recruitment, Hardy is not rushing into anything. Just a sophomore, there is plenty of time to go through the process. For now, getting results on the field is the main focus.

“I am keeping my options open, just coming out here and playing football.”

On the 247Sports composite, Hardy is the No. 37 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He ranks at No. 4 among sophomore safeties and No. 6 within the Lone Star State.

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Four-star DL Aaron Bryant commits to Longhorns over Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M

On Thursday, Aaron Bryant announced his commitment to Texas over Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.

Nine days before the season and Texas’ recruiting has finally taken a positive uptick. It was a rough summer for Steve Sarkisian and the staff but ending with a win can carry momentum into football season.

On Thursday, Aaron Bryant announced his commitment to Texas over Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. The four-star defensive lineman makes the 18th pledge in the cycle, moving the Longhorns to the No. 10 class in the country, jumping Clemson.

All four previously mentioned schools received visits during the summer, with Ole Miss receiving two. Georgia, Texas, and Texas A&M were all official, while the hometown program’s were both unofficial.

Defensive line coach Bo Davis was able to win out in the end. Beating three future conference members is something to note, especially from the northern part of Mississippi.

On the 247Sports composite, Bryant ranks as the No. 335 overall prospect and the No. 9 player from his home state of Mississippi. He is the No. 46 defensive lineman within the cycle. He was bumped up to four-star status on Thursday.

Talk about BOMC…

Bryant joins an already stacked defensive line class for Texas. Kristopher Ross and Zac Swanson are already in, making it a widely successful first cycle in Austin for Davis. Snagging potential defensive tackles from the states of Arizona, Mississippi, and Texas shows his range.

Needing to build depth in a major way at the interior part of the defensive line, Texas is far from finished at the position. Four-star Justice Finkley is down to Alabama, Colorado, and Texas with a commitment rumored to be soon.

Jaray Bledsoe should be the priority, though. The four-star seems to be one of the many Texas vs Texas A&M battles throughout the 2022 class.

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Four-star wide receiver Brenen Thompson includes Texas in top three schools

On Friday afternoon, Thompson released his top three schools.

In case you have not heard, Steve Sarkisian is a big fan of speed at the wide receiver position. Lucky for the head coach, Texas is in the thick of it for one of the fastest players in the 2022 class.

Brenen Thompson has numbers to back up his speed, winning a state championship on the track in the 200 meters at 21.27 seconds. He also set a personal record in the 100 meters at 10.38 seconds.

Alongside five-star Evan Stewart, the two wide receivers should be at the top of Texas’ priority list. As mentioned before, speed is needed within the wide receiver room. Both guys will restructure what Tom Herman built over the past four years.

On Friday afternoon, Thompson released his top three schools of Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas A&M. The first two hosted the four-star wide receiver on official visits during the summer, while the Longhorns are set to host Rice weekend.

Going on gut feeling, this feels like another Texas vs Texas A&M Lone Star Showdown. Sarkisian has already struggled to win these with big-time recruits in four-star safety Bryce Anderson.

Everyone knows how Thompson’s mother feels about staying within the state, especially to help the flagship university after five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers commented on top players not picking Texas.

If Sarkisian can impress the Thompson family during the official visit, Texas should be in a good position. Until then, all that can be done is stay the course.

On the 247Sports composite, Thompson is the No. 87 overall player and the No. 11 wide receiver in the country. Within the state of Texas, he ranks as the No. 15 prospect, just behind a trio of Texas A&M commits.

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Four-star offensive tackle Jacob Sexton commits to Oklahoma over Texas, Texas A&M

Texas is now batting .500 in the offensive lineman category this weekend. Jacob Sexton announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Saturday.

Texas is now batting .500 in the offensive lineman category this weekend.

First, it was a whiff on Cameron Williams to Oregon. Then, Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson committed to the good guys, shoring up the interior offensive line. On Saturday, it was a loss to the bad guys across the Red River.

Four-star offensive tackle Jacob Sexton announced his commitment to the home state Oklahoma Sooners. Texas and Texas A&M were both vying for the Deer Creek native’s commitment. Alabama and Oklahoma State received official visits as well.

Even if recruitment commitment videos are not your thing, Sexton’s is worth viewing. Texas may not be the choice but the offensive tackle was creative throughout the minute and a half.

You can watch it below:

On the 247Sports composite, Sexton ranks as the No. 24 offensive tackle in the country. Oklahoma is going to produce more talent than usual during the 2022 cycle as Sexton is the No. 5 player from the state. On a national level, the four-star is the No. 236 overall prospect.

For Texas, all attention now shifts to Sunday’s announcement from five-star Kelvin Banks. Even if Sexton did end up working out for the Longhorns, Banks is the No. 1 offensive line priority on the board. Getting a win would be massive for Kyle Flood.

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